Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Spaghetti Bolognese
A little cream softens the tomato sauce around this spaghetti, making each strand especially inviting. The beef gives it a savory backbone, with fresh basil over the finished bowl. Toss the pasta thoroughly and enjoy it warm, with Parmesan melting into the rich sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 16 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Darken the tomato paste
Cook paste with oregano and pepper flakes for a full minute, until slightly darkened, before pouring in wine and reducing it.
2. Keep cream at a gentle simmer
Lower the heat before stirring in the cream. A hard boil can split the sauce.
3. Save the pasta water
Reserve a cup before draining so you can loosen the sauce when tossing in spaghetti, helping it coat every strand.
Get to know the ingredients
Extra-lean ground beef
Break the beef apart as it browns before adding onion and garlic, letting the smaller pieces spread through the finished sauce.
Crushed tomatoes
Add crushed tomatoes after most wine cooks off, with the first fresh basil and seasoning for the covered sauce simmer.
Freshly grated Parmesan
Grate Parmesan for the final topping. It is preferred over pregrated cheese for a smoother melt over the pasta.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Creamy Spaghetti Bolognese
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Toss, pause and garnish
Toss spaghetti through the sauce, loosen with pasta water if needed and let sit a minute before adding Parmesan and remaining basil.
A little more help as you go
A longer sauce option
For a deeper sauce, add chopped carrot and celery with the onion and simmer for ninety minutes.
Store pasta and sauce separately
Refrigerate pasta and sauce separately for up to four days, or freeze the sauce alone for up to three months.
A few questions you might have
Does the cream go in with the tomatoes?
Simmer the tomatoes first, then bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir in cream near the end.
How far should I reduce the wine?
Cook it about five minutes after the paste stage, until most of the liquid has cooked off, before adding crushed tomatoes.
When should I taste the seasoning?
Taste after adding cream and adjust as needed before tossing the cooked spaghetti into the sauce with reserved water.
Is all the basil cooked into the sauce?
The first portion simmers with tomatoes. Keep the remaining basil for the finished pasta alongside the grated Parmesan topping.
Do I rinse the cooked spaghetti?
The directions reserve cooking water, drain the al dente spaghetti and toss it with sauce, without a rinsing step.
Any more cooking tips?
Add the cream at a gentle simmer so it blends smoothly without splitting. It softens the tomatoes' acidity and makes the sauce silky. Cook the tomato paste for a full minute before adding liquid. Save some pasta water: a splash loosens a tight sauce and helps it cling to the spaghetti. Choose crushed tomatoes with plenty of body, since watery ones leave a thinner sauce. Season after the beef, again with the tomatoes and once more at the end. Grate Parmesan fresh so it melts well. Simmer for at least twenty minutes. For a deeper sauce, add chopped carrot and celery with the onion and simmer for 90 minutes. Refrigerate sauce and pasta separately for up to 4 days, or freeze the sauce alone for up to 3 months.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
